


No One Can Lie Like That

by becauseofthelayers



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Kisses, M/M, Spoiler related, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:24:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6080991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/becauseofthelayers/pseuds/becauseofthelayers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron knows Robert's lying to him about the kid he was talking to outside the pub.<br/>He just can't deal with any more lies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No One Can Lie Like That

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for any english mistakes, unfortunately English is not my native language... I hope you can still enjoy the reading tough! Also, please feel free to point them out in the comments, if you want, so I can correct them.
> 
>  
> 
> This is based on the recent spoilers and previews, though I'm sure it's not happening like this ah!  
> But I just wanted to see Robert coming clean to Aaron (regarding this lie or any other), before Aaron finds out. I think Aaron would appreciate that so much, and he needs something like that in order to trust Robert again (among many other proofs, that is)
> 
> Other than that, I just needed some fluff, kisses and i love yous. What can I say...:D
> 
>  
> 
> (((Robron week starts today!!)))

They get out of the pub, Robert still uneasy about Aaron finding him and Ryan talking outside. He knew Aaron got suspicious, and he just hoped their drink had took his mind of off it.

 

Now that Aaron was back, he really didn’t want to ruin their seemingly blooming friendship. He only hoped Aaron could trust him again, in time. And then maybe they could be together, properly. Because that was all Robert wanted. It had took him long enough to see it, but it really was.

 

They were walking side by side, when Aaron disturbed the comfortable silence the two of them were sharing.

 

“So, who was your mate?”

 

Robert’s steps faltered. “Who?”

 

“You know well enough who I’m talking about,” Aaron bit back, his cool tone getting harsher.

 

“No one...” Robert hesitated. He didn’t want to lie to Aaron; all he wanted was for them to be completely honest with each other, with no more lies between them. Still, he stopped himself for telling the truth, for he knew Aaron would be mad at him, disappointed in what he’d done. And Robert didn’t want to fail him. He knew what it’d do to Aaron if he found out the new witness was actually no witness at all.

 

Aaron stopped his tracks and pulled at Robert’s arm, making Robert face him at once.  “You're lying to me Robert, I know it. Would you please just stop lying to me!”

 

At Robert’s silence, Aaron shook his head disbelievingly and let go of him, speeding up his pace so as to quickly put some distance between them.

 

“Aaron, wait! Don't go off like that!”

 

Aaron turned back to look at Robert. “Well it's hard to be here listening to all your lies. _Again_. What is it, you’re messing around with that kid now? Is that it?” His expression had turned cold. And Robert hated the sight.

 

 “Wait- no?!”

 

Robert took a stride and meant to put his hand on Aaron’s shoulder, so as to calm him, but Aaron was having none of it. He held up his arm, effectively keeping Robert at a distance.

 

“You're sleeping with him? Just tell me, Robert.”

 

Robert thought he saw a flicker of jealousy and hurt deep inside Aaron’s eyes, but he didn’t’ have much time to dwell on it, after truly processing what Aaron had said. He couldn’t help but laugh at Aaron’s assumptions. Him? Sleeping with Ryan?

 

Soon after he started chuckling, tough, he realized Aaron was actually asking him that.

 

“No, I'm not I- of course I'm not, come on…!” Robert tried to push back his own hurt at the concept of Aaron _actually_ thinking he’d just go off and sleep with another guy. “Do you really think I'd do that?”

 

“I don't know. You tell me. Because you're the one who's lying” 

 

“Look...”

 

“No, Robert...I'm going home alright? I'll see you tomorrow.”

 

Aaron turns his back on Robert and goes off, but after a second of hesitation, Robert speeds his pace to get to him. He bumps their shoulders together looking down at Aaron sweetly.

 

“Hey...”

 

Aaron bits back a smile, which has much to do with Robert chasing him down the street only to stupidly bump their shoulders and stare at him like that, with that same lovesick expression he’d been sporting so often.

 

Robert takes it as a good sign and smiles back at Aaron fondly.

 

“-What are you doing?” Aaron mutters, finding this little act rather odd for Robert.

 

Slowly, Robert closes the remaining distance between them and pretty much glues himself to Aaron’s left side. Aaron is taken back by this display of affection, even if all it does is make his heart swell against his will.

 

Coyly, Robert clasps Aaron’s arm as they walk, and gradually, but deliberately, gets to his hand. He looks at Aaron, but sees no sign to back off. Then, Robert envelopes Aaron's hand with his own.

Robert finds some resistance, a stiffness in Aaron's fingers. He doesn't back off, though. He pulls at Aaron's fingers so he can wholly intertwine them with his own, efficiently gluing them together.

 

Robert squeezes Aaron's hand and looks at him, waiting to see his reaction, his heart beating fast inside his chest. He’d never held Aaron’s hand like this, much less on the street. He wasn’t sure how Aaron would take it and he couldn’t help but be nervous with the possibility of Aaron rejecting it.

 

Robert notices how Aaron had diverted his eyes to their hands, looking down at them, gripped together and fitting so well. Staring as if to memorize it, as if it was something about to disappear. Only it wasn’t, Robert’s mind supplied. That mere thought made him beam.

 

Aaron finally looks up and can't help but give Robert a smile of his own, at last. Albeit small, it’s still one that reaches his eyes and makes them sparkle with real happiness.

Robert feels his own contentment at the sight of seeing Aaron like that. With everything that's happened, he hadn't seen Aaron smile like that in a long time. He vows, then, to do everything he possibly could so Aaron would look like that more often. That was all he wanted; to make him happy.

 

He also feels rather good holding Aaron's hand like that. He knows they're on the street at full sight to whoever passes through, and he knows Aaron's feeling uneasy thinking about this being too much for Robert to take.

 

Robert knows deep down Aaron is still waiting for him to retract his hand, but the truth is he's not being bothered in the slightest. If anything, he’s cursing himself for having waited so long to do such a simple thing.

 

As if to prove it, he puts his other hand on Aaron's bicep, now completely having a hold of Aaron’s left side, and smiles at him again. Telling him without words, that he wants this and doesn't feel ashamed by being with him, not even out in the open. 

 

Aaron doesn’t know what to do with Robert acting that way; walking by his side, holding his hand. He’s still mad at him for lying about whoever Ryan was. As well as for all the other stuff that’s happened between them. Even so, and at least to himself, he doesn’t have to pretend he doesn’t want Robert, still; doesn’t have to push his feelings away and not admit how much his heart jumped when Robert moved his hand across his arm, till he was gripping their hands together. Or how simply walking on the street with him made him feel so happy, happy to be with Robert. Without shame, without Chrissie, without uncertainty. Only there _was_ uncertainty, and he couldn’t quite shake it off, not just yet.

 

They reach Vic’s house, where Robert was meant to go to fetch some papers, before getting a ride from Aaron to the scrapyard.

 

Robert has to free his hand to open the door, causing them to separate from one another. They both miss the contact instantaneously. 

 

Aaron goes inside after Robert, closing the door behind him. There’s no one home.

 

Robert hums awkwardly and quickly disappears into his room to grab what he needed. When he comes back, Aaron’s still standing by the door, a dumbfounded look on his face.

 

Robert wants to say something to relieve the tension, not wanting his little display mess things between them. He thought Aaron had liked it, but maybe he read it wrong, seeing as he hadn’t said anything to him since then.

 

“So…” Aaron starts, hesitantly, “What was that?”

 

Robert decided to play the innocent part. “What was what?”

 

“Holding my hand down the street…” Aaron’s expression was guarded.

 

“Didn't you like it?” Robert murmured. “I liked it...”

 

Aaron huffs. “Yeah, yeah... Wasn't expecting that from you, though.”

 

“I know. But it's different now.”

 

They couldn’t help but smile at each other at that. 

 

“Look, Aaron-”

 

“Robert”, Aaron interrupted, taking a step in Robert’s direction. “I can't handle this. Not like this. You're lying to me again. You're playing with me and you’re hiding things…” He shook his head, his voice battling to stay strong. “Then you grab my hand for everyone to see and I feel so _happy_ that you're doing that but- You're lying to me and I just can't...It won’t work like this, it won’t.”

 

“Aaron...” Robert held up his hands, willing Aaron to stop for a second, just so he could explain things.

 

“I mean it, Robert. This, between us- it can't go on. I won't fall for it again. You've hurt me enough and I can't deal with your lies, not anymore.” 

 

Hidden away in Aaron’s words was that same ‘you _say_ you love me’ he’d questioned before, making Robert reminisce precisely just how insecure Aaron still was about his declaration. He cautiously grabbed Aaron’s hand, gripping it as he talked, willing to convey with more than just his words what he truly wanted Aaron to believe in.

 

“No, I'm not lying to you, I swear. Aaron the things I said to you… I mean them. You have to believe I'm telling the truth. I- You have to know I _love_ you.” 

 

“You keep saying that-”

 

“But it's the truth. I do. Please Aaron. Look at me. Can you not see it in my eyes? When I look at you. When I touch you. When I held your hand back there. If I kissed you…”

 

Aaron fidgeted under Robert’s piercing gaze, a new wave of feelings and memories coming back so vividly. Memories of Robert kissing him so gently it all had felt so much more than just an affair; his hands cradling Aaron’s head, pressing the two of them impossibly closer as they kissed, a desire resonating in those moments, a desire that had nothing to do with sex…

 

Aaron had always believed they were more than just a fling, even though that's what Robert used to say every time things were escaping his treasured control. Aaron knew better, though. At least he thought he knew. Because despite whatever Robert would say, some things you can't hide; can't fake.

Still, Aaron couldn't just erase everything else. Just because Robert actually did care about him, it didn't make him forget how Robert had put him down, hitting him where it hurt the most, just so he could feel better about himself. And how he'd done that over and over again. 

 

Looking at Robert's pleading eyes, Aaron knew it would be so easy to give in to him. Despite all his restrains, he had a pretty good idea of how simple it would be. Of how easy it _had_  been. 

Those eyes staring back at him, willing Aaron to give himself over and to trust in them once more... Only this time Aaron was too tired to go through all that again. 

 

“I really don't know, though... You've lied to me before.”

 

“But not like that. I never lied about loving you… Don't you believe that?” 

 

“It's hard to.”

 

“Why? …Don't I show it?”

 

Feeling Aaron distancing himself further and further, Robert decided to throw caution to the wind. He was not about to let Aaron put up his walls again, ruining everything they'd been slowly building. He took one step forward and closed the gap between them, grabbing Aaron's face as he went. Touching their foreheads together, being as close and it could get, Robert closed his eyes, breathing in; breathing Aaron in. He took a deep breath and stepped back, keeping his hands framing Aaron's face still. 

 

“Aaron. Look at me.” 

 

He did. Robert was still so close he could feel his breathing. 

 

“Please. Look in my eyes right now, and tell me you can't see it. Tell me you don't believe it.”

 

Aaron adverted his eyes. It was too much. 

 

“Aaron. You have to see it. I can’t lie like that. No one can.”

 

Aaron looked deep into Robert's eyes and saw they were turning red, tears starting to form. What he saw the most though, was that they were showing him everything he could possibly see. They were telling the truth. Robert loved him, it was clear. He could believe that completely because the way Robert was staring at him was as if he was showing Aaron his very soul. As if he was giving himself to Aaron freely, irrevocably. As if he was Aaron's. 

 

When Robert took a deep breath and, not adverting his eyes for one second, said, “I love you", Aaron knew it was true. For the first time, he felt the weight of those words. And what it meant for them to be truthful. Robert loved him. He truly did. 

 

Aaron couldn't help it. He was overwhelmed with emotion; with the knowledge the man in front of him felt that way about him. The man he'd fallen for, so long ago. The man he had tried to erase from his mind, from his heart, but never could. The one person who'd turned his world upside down, making it stay that way ever since. Even after everything he'd done, after everything they'd done to each other. The man he still loved. 

 

Aaron raised his hands to frame Robert's face, mimicking Robert. Steadying himself, the last doubt gone from his mind, Aaron finally closed that final gap between them and pressed his lips to Robert's. It was a simple pressure, tentative and barely there. It was electrifying, nonetheless. Their hearts were beating furiously on their chests, and their minds were racing, trying to make sense of what was happening.

 

Robert gasped, not quite believing Aaron was finally kissing him; touching him again. He felt a tear trail down his face, right into Aaron's hand, still pressed against his cheek. 

Aaron felt it too and moved back, so to look at Robert. 

 

"What's wrong?"

 

Robert shook his head, not wanting any space between them again. 

 

"No... Come here, don't go."

 

Aaron stroked his cheek tenderly, looking back at him. “But you're crying...”

 

“I'm not.” Robert wiped his eyes quickly, pulling Aaron close by the waist. “I'm happy. You just made me very happy…”

 

Aaron smiled back. With the way Robert was looking at him, he couldn't really do much else. 

 

Aaron licked his own lips, his heart exhilarating with the faint taste of Robert's mouth still in there. Being so near Robert again, his scent invading Aaron's nostrils, just like he remembered, the taste of his lips still the same, was making his mouth water and his mind reel with desire to touch him again. And so he did.

 

Aaron pulled Robert in, and kissed him again, pressing their mouths more vehemently this time around.

 

The kiss was familiar, yet different from so many they'd shared before. The main difference being that, this time, they knew, without a doubt, what the other one felt. The passion that had always been there, (though sometimes hidden among the need to cover up such a feeling), now coupled with the undeniable love they shared and weren’t repudiating anymore, made way for the most real kiss they’d ever had.

 

As they pressed their lips together, moving their bodies in unison, it was as if there was no one else, _nothing_ else in the world. Not in that moment. Not whilst they were kissing like that. 

 

Aaron drew Robert impossibly closer, wanting to envelop all of Robert’s body with his own. He moved his hands across Robert’s back, fisting the suit’s fabric forcefully, just like he’d done in the past. Only then, Aaron was unsure about Robert’s feelings for him; back then, their relationship seemed so precarious, so destined to fail.   

 

Robert sighed into their kiss, feeling Aaron's need to be close, and wanting nothing more than to give him that; a need for closeness he craved as well. He responded by taking his hands off of Aaron’s waist and placing them on his each side of his face instead, framing his head lovingly and bringing their bodies together, their mouths still pressed against one another.

 

After what felt like hours and seconds at the same time (they couldn’t really tell; time had stopped anyway), they forcefully detached themselves just enough to breathe, not yet opening their eyes – wanting to stay in that moment forever. 

 

“Robert-”, Aaron started, but Robert promptly silenced whatever he was trying to say with another kiss.

 

“Don't say anything… You don't have to. You said it all just now.”

 

Robert smiled; so sweetly Aaron thought his heart would break – though if it _did_ break, it would also be mended by the very same man. He smiled back. Robert was right. There was no need to say something, when all of it had already been said. He would say it, but right now he didn’t have to. They both knew.

 

Robert moved his hands to Aaron's face and locked their eyes again. 

 

“Can I kiss you again?”

 

Aaron beamed, tilting his head up already.  "You can."

 

 

It was hard for Robert to push Aaron away, stopping their kissing, but he knew he had to come clean to him. No more secrets.

 

“Aaron, about that kid-”

 

Aaron looked at Robert, steadying himself for what he presumed was nothing good. He turned his back, moving to sit on the sofa, but beckoning Robert to sit beside him.

 

Robert took this a good sign, and followed Aaron, sitting close to him. “Just let me explain alright? I'll tell you everything.” 

 

 “Listening...”

 

Robert grasped Aaron's hands on his own, staring at them for a second before beginning his confession, meeting Aaron's eyes when he started. 

 

“Your mom and I had a conversation. About how much Gordon needed to go down for what he did to you.”

 

Aaron tensed up at the mention of his father, which only made Robert squeeze his hands reassuringly.

 

“He can't get away with it Aaron, he can't.” 

 

“Well he might,” Aaron spat bitterly, adverting his eyes. 

 

“Yes but...” Robert's voice was small now, embarrassed. “He shouldn't. Not if we could do something about it” 

 

Aaron looked back at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

 

“Aaron…please don't be mad. I did it just so I could help you- I didn't know what to do! I just wanted to do something!” Robert was now frantic, tightening Aaron's hands in his own, his eyes wordlessly begging Aaron to understand his motives. 

 

“Robert, what did you do? Wait- is this still about that lad?”

 

Robert braced himself. “Look… I paid him. To go to the police and tell them Gordon had abused him as well.”

 

At that, Aaron got up and covered his mouth with his hand, breathing out loudly. He finally turned, facing Robert. “You did what?”

 

Robert flinched under Aaron’s treacherous gaze. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to help you. I didn’t want you coming back only to find Gordon had managed to get away with what he did.”

 

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Trying to play the night in shining armour, were you?”

 

“I was just looking out for you, Aaron. I care so much about you, and I don’t want you suffering because of _him_.”

 

Robert waited for Aaron to say something, but all he was met with was silence. He got up from the sofa and just stood there, uncertain to whether he should try to approach him or if he should leave Aaron alone.

 

“Do you want me to go?” Robert asked quietly.

 

“No.” Aaron’s face was stern, but Robert could see a tenderness deep inside his eyes, which couldn’t help but make him hopeful for a better outcome to this whole situation that what he had expected.

 

“Do you want me to stay?”

 

Aaron rolled his eyes once again, more playfully this time. “You know paying some random kid was a really stupid move, right?”

 

“Yeah, actually. He’s already telling me he wants out,” Robert huffed disbelievingly. “Stupid kid, the money I gave him should be well enough for- Sorry.”

 

“Good. Now you’re going to call the bloke and tell him the plan’s cancelled. He can keep the money,” Aaron added.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Serves you right though, doesn’t it?”

 

Robert looked down. He knew Ryan wanting to back off on their little deal could be just what he needed to fix the mess it all would inadvertently end up in.

 

Deep in thoughts, Robert felt a hand on his chin that was forcing him to look up, and was faced with Aaron’s blue eyes staring at him fondly. Aaron tilted his head, a small grin on his lips. “You’re an idiot aren’t you?”

 

Robert smiled back. “I am.”

 

“I’m not mad,” Aaron stated. “At least not that much.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. I get what you were trying to do… Even if you shouldn’t have done it like that.”

 

Aaron took a step closer and placed his hands on Robert’s waist. “At least you didn’t tell me you were sleeping with that lad, I guess that’s something.”

 

Robert laughed loudly at that, a mixture of disgust and amusement on his face. Still grinning, he pulled Aaron in for a kiss, feeling Aaron’s own smile as they moved their lips together.

 

Aaron kissed back for a minute, before pulling back again, leaving Robert to pout. “What-”

 

“Robert. I’m glad you told me. That’s all I want you to do...”

 

“And I’ll tell you every time, now. I promise you.”

 

Aaron believed him.

He embraced Robert tightly, wordlessly conveying as much as he could just how grateful he was for Robert’s honesty. Feeling at last that they were on the right path to something good together. A proper relationship, solid and healthy. And _real_.

 

Aaron proceeded to join their lips, holding Robert close to him, and this time not wanting to stop any time soon.

 

 


End file.
